laughter
das Lachen
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laughter
An expression of joy, amusement, or sometimes other emotions through certain facial movements and usually short, repeated sounds. The sounds produced in this way are also called laughter.
Ihr fröhliches Lachen war im ganzen Haus zu hören.
Her cheerful laughter could be heard throughout the house.
for someone's laughter to fade
Someone loses their cheerful or carefree mood because of an unpleasant experience or bad news.
Als er die hohe Rechnung sah, verging ihm das Lachen.
When he saw the high bill, his laughter faded.
to be laughable
To seem funny and provide amusement; also used mockingly for something that is ridiculous or cannot be taken seriously.
Seine Behauptung, er allein könne alle Probleme lösen, ist doch zum Lachen.
His claim that he alone could solve all the problems is laughable.
for someone's laughter to catch in their throat
Someone suddenly stops enjoying themselves because they notice something frightening or unpleasant.
Als der vermeintlich harmlose Streich einen Unfall auslöste, blieb den Jugendlichen das Lachen im Halse stecken.
When the supposedly harmless prank caused an accident, the teenagers' laughter caught in their throats.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Lachens |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Lachen | – |
| accusative | das Lachen | – |
| dative | dem Lachen | – |
| genitive | des Lachens | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Das Lachen' (laughter) is the nominalized verb 'lachen' (to laugh) and refers to the action or the sounds produced in the process as a noun. It therefore takes the article 'das' and is capitalized.
Sein lautes Lachen störte die Nachbarn.
His loud laughter disturbed the neighbors.
Beim Lachen bekam sie kaum noch Luft.
She could hardly breathe while laughing.
Common collocations include 'herzliches Lachen' (hearty laughter), 'fröhliches Lachen' (cheerful laughter), and 'in Lachen ausbrechen' (to burst out laughing). These combinations usually describe the type of laughter or its sudden onset.
Bei dem Witz brach das ganze Publikum in Lachen aus.
The whole audience burst out laughing at the joke.
In the fixed expression 'jemandem vergeht das Lachen' (someone's laughter fades), the affected person is in the dative: 'Mir/ihm/ihnen vergeht das Lachen' (my/his/their laughter fades). The noun takes the definite article 'das'.
Nach der Nachricht über den Schaden verging ihnen das Lachen.
After hearing about the damage, their laughter faded.
'Zum Lachen sein' (to be laughable) is often used as an evaluative expression and can sound mocking or ironic. Words such as 'wirklich' (really) or 'doch' (after all) often reinforce this critical attitude.
Diese Ausrede ist wirklich zum Lachen.
This excuse is really laughable.
In 'jemandem bleibt das Lachen im Halse stecken' (someone's laughter catches in their throat), the affected person is in the dative. The expression describes a sudden shift from a cheerful situation to a frightening or unpleasant one.
Als plötzlich der Feueralarm losging, blieb den Gästen das Lachen im Halse stecken.
When the fire alarm suddenly went off, the guests' laughter caught in their throats.
